Before & After: This Breezy Kitchen Redo Will Have You Rethinking Those Upper Cabinets

Kitchens can be a tricky room to design: Not only do they need to be completely functional and practical cook spaces, but they also need to be inviting. After all, it’s a room you use up to three times a day, every day! For Meera Pendred of First Sense Interiors, her kitchen was sorely lacking in both areas. “The kitchen used to be narrow, dark and dated, with inadequate appliances, insufficient storage and a broken layout that just didn’t work,” Meera says. “It was also shut away from the other spaces in the house. There was no joy in using it.”

But even though, as Meera says, “the kitchen went on the hit list as soon as I viewed the house,” it took her a few years to save up for the renovations that were needed. While the wait caused some frustration in dealing with the old kitchen every day, it also gave Meera a good idea of what was needed to make this space work for her family.

The kitchen redo was part of a whole-house renovation, so the entire project took a few months to finish. Meera knew she wanted an open-plan kitchen that felt bright, airy, and welcoming, so the redo included a top-to-bottom overhaul. The kitchen was finally opened up to the rest of the house, which helped it feel lots brighter than the old, cramped quarters.

As part of the remodel, Meera scrapped the boring old square tile floor, instead replacing it with wood-look laminate in a modern gray-washed finish. For the cabinets, she chose a sophisticated charcoal blue (Paint and Paper Library’s Squid Ink). White countertops keep the deep tone from feeling too heavy.

Meera also added new appliances, plus a custom range hood that is equal parts practical and pretty. The reno also made room for a wood-topped island that seats two — something that never would have fit in the old kitchen! Swapping upper cabinets for open shelves maximizes the airy vibes.

To make sure there was still plenty of storage space, Meera added a large pantry beside the fridge that holds food and small appliances. “Having always wanted an open plan kitchen that felt bright, airy and a joy to cook in, the ‘after’ is a total dream come true for me,” says Meera. “I love every little detail and wouldn’t change a thing.”

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before and After: This Breezy Kitchen Redo Will Make You an Open Shelf Convert